Building capacity and expertise

The Glasgow Molecular Pathology Node will build capacity and expertise in molecular pathology through enhanced capacity for clinical development and delivery through staffing; expertise through training and enhanced working for delivery and development. Our training in molecular pathology, genetics, informatics and stratified medicine will address national skill shortages and contribute to a workforce capable of developing, undertaking, interpreting and applying the results of novel molecular molecular diagnostics, across a range of professions and expertise from geneticists, pathologists, clinical and other scientists, informaticians and clinicians across hospital practice and primary care.

This increased capacity and expertise will enable improved clinical practice in molecular pathology in the UK and beyond, through staff and improved working patterns and by underpinning development pipelines. The molecular diagnostics and approaches developed will drive beneficial change in clinical practice for patients worldwide; and their commercial exploitation will benefit the UK economy.

  • Enhanced capacity for clinical development and delivery through staffing. Investment in additional, strategic, multi-disciplinary staffing and infrastructure will build capacity in molecular pathology and informatics. Our informatics team will be unified across University and NHS, including Safe Haven Biorepository, Pathology and Genetics and –omics technologies team, with academic leadership enabling integrated collaborative working.

  • Expertise through training. To develop a workforce with appropriate expertise a range of high-quality, Masters level training will be developed. Training will be multi-disciplinary, including pathology, genetics and potentially other laboratory medicine specialities, and offered flexibly, at different levels, suitable for trainee and consultant pathologists and scientists, linked to qualifications and aligning with Royal College of Pathologists or appropriate curricula.

  • Enhanced working for delivery and development. In Glasgow, pathologists work in specialist teams; by 2018, each team will have a consultant leading on molecular pathology, with funded time to support clinical delivery, development and research (Infrastructure and training workstrands).